Along an assembly line, diapers and various types of other absorbent articles may be assembled by adding components to and otherwise modifying an advancing, continuous web of material. For example, in some processes, advancing webs of material are combined with other advancing webs of material. In other examples, individual components created from advancing webs of material are combined with advancing webs of material, which in turn, are then combined with other advancing webs of material. Webs of material and component parts used to manufacture diapers may include: backsheets, topsheets, absorbent cores, front and/or back ears, fastener components, and various types of elastic webs and components such as leg elastics, barrier leg cuff elastics, and waist elastics. Once the desired component parts are assembled, the advancing web(s) and component parts are subjected to a final knife cut to separate the web(s) into discrete diapers or other absorbent articles. The discrete diapers or absorbent articles may also then be folded and packaged.
For purposes of web control and/or monitoring purposes, absorbent article converting lines may utilize various types of sensor technology to detect various types of inspection data relating to the continuous webs and discrete components added to the webs along the converting line as absorbent articles that are constructed therefrom. Example sensor technology may include vision systems, photoelectric sensors, proximity sensors, laser or sonic distance detectors, and the like. Sensor data may be communicated to a controller in various ways. In turn, the controller may be programmed to receive sensor data and report and/or store such data as well as make adjustments to manufacturing processes.
In some manufacturing processes, cameras are arranged adjacent converting lines in order to communicate data to the controller relating to positions and/or orientations of advancing webs and components. Although cameras may detect and communicate valuable data to the controller, the controller may not be able to track the exact locations and speeds of an advancing continuous web and/or component with a very large degree of accuracy due to relatively slow sensor and control loop times. And such slow loop times may be exacerbated at the high speed production rates of some absorbent article processes. Consequently, it would be beneficial to configure and utilize visions systems in combinations with controllers that are able to detect and track the locations and speeds of advancing continuous webs and/or components advancing at relatively high production speeds.